The girl nobody wanted

My upcoming sermon this Sunday. Title credit goes to 'Jesus Storybook Bible'

Finishing a sermon series

I finally finished my six-part sermon series on The Call of God, The Transformer of Life taken from Genesis 12-22. Personally while those weekends became anything but relaxing for me (preparing sermons does not get easier with experiences), I learned an awful lot about God and His covenant with His people. I haven't got the chance to post my sermon summary on this blog; several people encouraged me to turn them into a book in Indonesian.

Here is in a nutshell, what I preached last Sunday. It is in Indonesian though, but the prayer that follows, taken from the sermon, is in English.
Let us put our faith not on faith itself
But to the object of our faith, God himself,
To Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides.

Let us be obedient unto HIM like Abraham
Not by trying harder but by trusting more on God
Who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all.

The God who stopped Abraham from offering up his son
The God who Himself did not stop His own Son to be offered up
Because of His love for us, because of His love for us
O Sinners and Saints, believe in Him, live for Him, obey Him.

Christ-centered sermon

Jollyblogger wrote something that resonates within my heart:

Our response to the gospel is always that of repentance and faith, not action. We do not "do" something to apply the gospel, the gospel "does" something to us. Thus I have been very cautious in offering "to-do" lists from texts.

On the other hand I am aware that the Bible is full of commands that demand obedience. Yet, while acknowledging that, I am still left with the Colossians 2:20-23 conundrum.

20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
In other words, telling people what to do and not do has little or no value in getting them to do or not do what they should or shouldn't do. This doesn't mean there aren't things we should and shouldn't do, but do's and don'ts won't get it done.

So how do we resolve this conundrum? T. David Gordon in his book Why Johnny Can't Preach offers some "practical" thoughts:

I know that there are those who are terribly afraid that such Christ-centered preaching will lead to licentiousness; but I categoricaly deny it. I've witnessed with my own eyes the difference between believers who suffer through moralistic preaching and those who experience Christological preaching. The former are never as strong or vibrant in their Christian discipleship as the latter. In theory, we all say we believe, for instance, that good works are the "inevitable" fruit of saving faith. I not only say this; I believe it.

I believe that as people's confidence in Christ goes they do, ordinarily and inevitably, bear fruit that accords with faith. Thus, there is no need for some trade-off here, or some alleged dichotomy suggesting that we need to preach morality if we are to have morality. No; preach Christ and you will have morality. Fill the sails of your hearers' souls with the wind of confidence in the Redeemer, and tey will trust him as their Sanctifier, and long to see his fruit in their lives. Fill their minds and imaginations with a vision of the loveliness and perfection of Christ in his person, and the flock will long to be like him. Impress upon their weak and wavering hearts the utter competence of the mediation of the One who ever lives to make intercession for them, and they will long to serve and comfort others, even as Christ has served and comforted them.

Robinson on Sermon Check-Up

In a recent piece in Preaching Today, the master preacher, Haddon Robinson, gave a comprehensive checklist that makes up an effective sermon organized around (1) Organization; (2) Content; (3) Delivery; and (4) Audience adaptation. It's a tall order, but it's worth considering every Sunday.

I remember reading more than 10 years ago Earl Palmer's strategies for sermon effectiveness, that is a preacher must have three kinds of fluency: Textual fluency, people fluency, and schedule fluency. The three things correlate highly with each other. The hardest component I found is people fluency. Pastors are busy. Preachers are busy. Some days the last thing they wish to do is to meet people. But this proves to be detrimental to preaching. Because often when we approach a text or think about its application, we end up thinking about people whom we spend time with. If we spend time with only the committee members or the elders, obviously the sermon will be written/preached with them in mind, and leaves out the rest of the people in the congregation.

What I found valuable in Robinson's checklist is the nitty-gritty details in the delivery, including non-verbal languages like eye-contact, vocal variety, posture, pauses, grammar, pronounciation, etc. These things are often easily ignored, particularly if the preacher assumes that the audience won't be smart enough to notice that anyway, or couldn't care less.

Here is the complete checklist:

ORGANIZATION

Introduction
Does the message get attention?
Does it touch some need directly or indirectly?
Does it orient hearers to the subject? Or to the main idea? Or to the first point?
Is it the right length? Is there a specific purpose?

Structure
Is the development clear? Is the overall structure clear?
Does the sermon have a central idea? Can you state it?
Are the transitions clear? Do they review?
Is there a logical or psychological link between the points?
Do the main points relate back to the main idea?
Are the subpoints clearly related to their main points?

Conclusion
Does the sermon build to a climax?
Is there an adequate summary of ideas?
Are there effective closing appeals or suggestions?

CONTENT

Is this subject significant? Is it appropriate?
Is the sermon built on solid exegesis?
Does the speaker show where he or she is in the text?
Is the analysis of the subject thorough? Logical?
Does the speaker convince you that he or she is right?
Does the content show originality?

Supporting material
Is the supporting material logically related to its point?
Is it interesting? varied? specific? sufficient?

Style
Does the speaker use correct grammar?
Is the speaker's vocabulary concrete? Vivid? Varied?
Are words used correctly?
Does the choice of words add to the effectiveness of the sermon?

DELIVERY

Intellectual directness
Does the speaker want to be heard? Is the speaker alert?
Do you feel the speaker is talking to you?
Is the speaker friendly?
Does the delivery sound like lively conversation?
Are words pronounced correctly?

Oral presentation
Is the voice easy to listen to? Is there clear articulation?
Is there vocal variety? Does the pitch level change?
Is there a variety of force? Does the rate vary enough?
Does the speaker use pauses effectively?

Physical presentation
Is the speaker's entire body involved in the delivery?
Does the speaker gesture?
Are the gestures spontaneous? Wide? Definite? Are there distracting mannerisms?
Is the posture good? Does the speaker look alert?
Is there good facial expression?

AUDIENCE ADAPTATION

Is the sermon adapted to hearers' interests? Attitudes?
Is the message related to hearers' knowledge? Does it meet needs?
Does the speaker look hearers in the eye?
Do you feel the speaker is aware of audience response?

Tiga Kriteria Kotbah yang Baik

Jemaat Allah perlu memahami kriteria kotbah yang baik agar dapat menjadi seperti jemaat Berea yang dipuji karena mereka bukan hanya “menerima firman itu dengan segala kerelaan hati” dari Paulus dan Silas, tetapi “setiap hari mereka menyelidiki Kitab Suci untuk mengetahui, apakah semuanya itu benar demikian” (Kisah 17:11).

Menurut saya, minimal ada 3 kriteria kotbah yang baik:

1. Memberitakan Firman Allah dengan meng-eksposisi seluruh maksud Allah dalam Alkitab (the whole counsel of God).

Rasul Paulus dalam pesan utamanya pada Timotius memberi sebuah tekanan: Beritakanlah firman (2 Tim 4:1-2). Berkotbah (preach the Word) berbeda dengan mengajar. Dalam 2 Tim 1:10-11 Paulus membedakan perannya sebagai seorang pengkotbah, rasul, dan guru. Kata yang dipakai untuk ‘beritakanlah’ adalah “kerusso” (bhs. Yunani) kata yang dipakai untuk utusan yang hendak menyampaikan perintah raja. Utusan tersebut harus menyampaikan dengan otoritas, intensitas, dan kesungguhan karena yang dipertaruhkan adalah otoritas yang mengutus. Demikian halnya dengan kotbah.

Paulus menulis di ayat sebelumnya: “Di hadapan Allah dan Kristus Yesus yang akan menghakimi orang yang hidup dan yang mati, aku berpesan dengan sungguh-sungguh kepadamu demi penyataan-Nya dan demi Kerajaan-Nya” (2 Tim 4:1). Kita berkotbah mewakili Allah Bapa dan Allah Anak. Taruhannya adalah surga dan neraka. Tidak ada organisasi/ instusi lain yang membahas tentang surga/neraka, keselamatan/kebinasaan, dosa/pengampunan, kecuali gereja. Celaka kalau gereja tidak lagi memberitakan hal tersebut, karena kotbah adalah means of grace, sarana Allah menurunkan anugerah-Nya dan melahir-barukan kita. Richard Baxter menekankan sentralitas dan urgensi dari kotbah ketika ia menulis "I preach as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men."

Kotbah yang baik, karenanya adalah kotbah eksposisi, meng-ekspose jemaat pada apa yang Allah katakan. “Expose” berarti menundukkan pikiran kita dibawah Firman Tuhan, berbeda dari “impose” yang berarti menaruh pikiran, pendapat, dan minat pribadi di atas Firman Tuhan, atau memakai Firman sebagai pendukung pendapat dan pikiran pengkotbah. Kalimat Haddon Robbison harus selalu diingat oleh setiap pengkotbah:

"Whether or not a minister does biblical preaching starts with the honest answer to the question: "Do I, as a preacher, endeavor to bend my thought to the Scriptures, or do I use the Scriptures to support my thought?"

Kotbah yang baik juga harus menyampaikan the whole counsel of God (Kis 20:27) yang berarti seluruh ajaran, perintah, kehendak Allah yang Ia wahyukan untuk disampaikan pada jemaat-Nya. Sementara bagian jemaat adalah menerima semua wahyu Allah, tanpa pilih-pilih. Inilah yang disampaikan dalam seluruh pengajaran Rasul Paulus selama 2.5 tahun di gereja Efesus. Tentu dalam waktu yg relatif singkat itu, dia tidak membahas ayat per ayat dari Perjanjian Lama, tetapi dia membahas seluruh apa yang disebut DA Carson sebagai "the burden of the whole of God's revelation" yaitu:
- God's purposes in the history of redemption (truths to be believed and a God to be worshiped),
- an unpacking of human origin, fall, redemption, and destiny (a worldview that shapes all human understanding and a Savior without whom there is no hope),
- the conduct expected of God's people (commandments to be obeyed and wisdom to be pursued, both in our individual existence and in the community of the people of God), and
- the pledges of transforming power both in this life and in the life to come (promises to be trusted and hope to be anticipated)
(Challenges for the Twenty-first-century Pulpit, in Preach the Word, pp. 177-178)

2. Membukakan kemuliaan Allah, memaparkan Kristus, dan berfokus pada Injil.

2 Kor 4:3-6 menegaskan bahwa Injil mewartakan kemuliaan Kristus yang adalah gambaran Allah. Seringkali kotbah yang dianggap baik adalah yang relevan, yang banyak pakai ilustrasi. Rasul Paulus mengingatkan bahwa ada orang-orang yang memang tidak akan menerima berita Injil, sehingga pengkotbah tidak perlu tergoda menjadikan keinginan jemaat sebagai penentu arah kotbah demi untuk relevan.

Jika kita hanya mencari pengkotbah yang lucu, daripada mendengar kotbah, lebih baik kita menonton Seinfeld atau Everybody Loves Raymond. Jika kita hanya mencari pengkotbah yang memberi cerita-cerita yang mengharukan dan menggerakkan hati, kita akan lebih puas mendapatkannya dari Oprah atau Dr Phil ketimbang pengkotbah manapun. Kotbah yang baik adalah kotbah yang ekspositori, yang menyatakan pikiran Allah, bukan hikmat manusia. Mimbar-mimbar gereja Tuhan akan menyeleweng bila diisi dengan hanya 25% firman Allah, dan 75% filsafat atau psikologi atau sosiologi atau manajemen. Lagi dari Haddon Robinson yang dengan tegas menyatakan:

“If it's not expository and not solidly biblical, I don't care how wonderful the sermon is, I don't care how people line up at the door to tell you it's a great message, and I don't care how many people break down in tears as they listen—if it's not faithful to the Scriptures forget about it. You're not called to be an actor; you're called to be a preacher.”

3. Mentransformasi hidup umat Allah saat mereka melihat dan bersuka dalam kemuliaan Allah.

Allah mengubahkan manusia dengan menyatakan kemuliaan-Nya, sehingga hidup manusia kembali diletakkan dalam perspektif yang tepat di hadapan Allah, dan terus diubahkan dengan kemuliaan yang semakin besar (2 Kor 3:18). Saat kita berhadapan dengan kesucian Allah, kebesaran, kemuliaan, dan keindahanNya, maka kita juga akan diberi hikmat untuk menerapkan Firman Tuhan tersebut dalam konteks hidup kita masing-masing. Inilah cara Allah.

Kotbah yang baik bukan kotbah yang penuh ilustrasi dan aplikasi praktis tetapi kotbah yang membawa kita mengalami personal encounter dengan Allah. Pengkotbah tidak perlu mengkotbah setiap dan seluruh kebutuhan jemaat yang sangat bervariasi. Saat ia setia membukakan jemaat terhadap kemuliaan, kebesaran, keindahan, kesucian, keadilan, dan kedaulatan Allah, disana jemaat akan diubahkan.

Dua contoh yang saya kemukakan disini. Jika dalam jemaat ada para mahasiwa yang sedang kuatir dan resah tentang masa depannya setelah lulus kuliah apakah ia akan mendapat pekerjaan. Apakah pengkotbah mesti membahas tentang "Bagaimana Mencari Pekerjaan Sebagai Anak Allah?" atau "Bagaimana menjadi Konglomerat bagi Allah"? Tentu tidak. Namun jika ia berkotbah tentang kedaulatan Allah, maka disana mahasiswa tersebut akan melihat bahwa masa depannya ada ditangan Allah, dan saat ia kuatir ia sedang tidak mengingkari kebenaran tentang kedaulatan Allah yang akan memelihara hidupnya.

Jika ada sebuah keluarga yang sedang mengalami ketegangan karena suami dan istri merasa tidak cocok, lalu timbul cekcok tiap hari. Bagaimana misalnya kotbah ttg kesucian Allah dapat berbicara kepada mereka? Saat mereka mendengar pengupasan firman Allah tentang kekudusan Allah, mereka menjadi sadar bahwa misalnya (1) mereka telah berjanji untuk menjadi satu tubuh dihadapan Allah yang suci yang menuntut mereka untuk berjuang memperbaiki relasi yg sudah renggan tsb sehingga baik suami maupun istri tidak melakukan tindakan yg tidak suci, (2) mereka sadar bahwa selama ini setiap hari concern dan pemikiran mereka dikuasai dengan masalah-masalah pribadi yang ketika dibandingkan dengan isu kesucian dan kebesaran Allah tiba-tiba menjadi sangat sepele dan remeh. Mereka lalu berdoa "Tuhan, ampuni kami, karena kami tidak pernah peduli ketika kesucian-Mu diinjak-injak, karena kami sibuk membela hak-hak pribadi kami dan lalu melukai perasaan satu sama lain."

Sebagai jemaat, kita perlu menuntut agar kotbah yang disampaikan memenuhi kriteria di atas. Kita juga perlu mendoakan setiap mereka yang berkotbah agar tetap setia pada Firman.